DDA finally makes space for shops

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) seems to have finally woken up — albeit a little late — to its responsibility of providing commercial spaces to accommodate the city’s fast-growing economy.

The results are obvious. To escape the uncertainty of running shops from unauthorised areas, applicants were seen busy filling tenders for the 600 freehold built-up shops and offices being sold by the DDA.

Take for instance Chittaranjan Park. Of the 600 shopping units that DDA will be putting to auction, 35 units are located in CR Park Market 1 and Market 2.

DDA has received about 700 tenders for the 35 shops. The remaining shops are located in Dwarka, Kondli and other areas.

This would be the sixth such auction for commercial plots conducted by the DDA this year. Earlier, the DDA had sold 27 commercial plots.

Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken, at a recent function organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), pulled up the DDA for failing to provide adequate commercial space in the city.

According to a recent report prepared by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) which was submitted to the Union Urban Development Ministry, the DDA — till date — had managed to provide commercial space to the extent of only 16 per cent.

The report states, “The gap of 84 per cent has resulted in high speculative prices, necessitating the use of residential properties into commercial activities.”

This is not all. The DDA had proposed to set up a total of 29 district centres in Master Plan 1981-2001.

According to HUDCO’s report, the total floor area to be constructed in these 29 district centres was about 96 lakh square metres while till date only 15.3 lakh square metres (16 per cent) seems to have been made available in 10 district centres.

The report further states, “The prices of planned commercial space became unaffordable to a large chunk of population when DDA monopolised the supply and created artificial scarcity to maximise the pricing of the planned commercial space by auctioning it.”